LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A 19-year-old charged with murder will now face the Fayette County Grand Jury.
Following nearly 30 minutes of testimony during a preliminary hearing on Tuesday morning, District Court Judge Lindsay Thurston determined probable cause exists in the July 5 shooting death of Christopher Valdez.
Valdez’s body was found in Pine Meadows Park with a single gunshot wound to the back. Two more shooting victims were taken to local hospitals for surgery. During testimony, Detective John Davis said the shootings were the result of a drug deal, and that police used the city’s FLOCK cameras and car dealer registration information to link Emmanuel Contreras to a grey Toyota Camry. According to police, Contreras told them he was at the scene when they interviewed him following his arrest.
Family members of Valdez watched this morning’s hearing and were relieved when the judge denied a reduced charge as well as a reduction in bond.
“A person like Emmanuel shouldn’t be out on the streets,” said Christopher’s niece, Jaqueline Garcia.
“He was more like a brother to me, and just knowing that he’s not going to walk through that door, or that I won’t get to hug him anymore just hurts me,” Ms. Garcia added.
Garcia said she doesn’t believe her uncle knew Contreras or the other juvenile suspect and doesn’t think he was in that park to make a drug deal.
“Not really, sure, I’m hoping he was just with the wrong person at the wrong time,” she said.
Garcia added she last saw her uncle the night before his murder.
“The day before we were doing fireworks, we were at the lake,” she said.
Contreras will continue to be held on $750,000 bond and will wait to see if the grand jury returns an indictment on the murder and other charges.
